Although trench warfare has been employed since ancient times, it was used on an unprecedented scale on the Western Front during World War I. Prior to World War I, trench warfare was most extensively used during the American Civil War. Traditionally, battles where lined up, … See more ideas about world war one, world war i, world war. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? A German machine gun emplacement during World War I. In the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (March 13–May 8, 1954), which resulted in the French expulsion from Indochina, the communist-led Viet Minh used classic 18th-century siege methods and drove forward an elaborate system of trenches to negate the effects of French artillery and airpower, preparatory to the battle. This pattern is visible in an aerial photograph of a trench network (see picture above) which shows German trenches on the right, Allied trenches on the left and ‘no man’s land’ between them. Combine war heroes with outrageous and incredible power and build your ultimate battle team. In the subsequent Persian Gulf War (1990–91), Iraq built an elaborate system of defensive trenches, ditches, and berms, but it was overwhelmed by airpower, innovative tactics, and the demoralization of its frontline troops. Exposed to the elements, trenches filled with water and became muddy quagmires. After the first two years, it was difficult to believe that they would ever end." They could often become crowded, so any kind of wound sustained in the trenches was likely to become infected. Over each man’s mount, we stuck a rifle and bayonet, with his cap on the rifle butt.”. Publisher: Alpha History The first, or front, line of trenches was known as the outpost line and was thinly held by scattered machine gunners distributed behind dense entanglements of barbed wire. There was the main trench, the reserve trench, and the rest trench. Having multiple lines of trench allowed soldiers to retreat if the frontline trench was overrun or destroyed by the enemy. In particular, General Robert E. Lee used trenches to great effect, particularly in the siege at Petersburg. This World War I website is created and maintained by Alpha History. Often there were two and even three lines of trenches protected in front by belts of mines and barbed wire hundreds of yards thick. Most of these resulted from attempts to make armoured cars capable of moving off roads, over broken ground, and through barbed wire. In prior wars, opponents would wear different colors so that soldiers would not kill their own men in a smoky battle. A historian’s view: A common tactic of attack was to attack at dawn or dusk, when visibility was poorer. It resulted in arrangements such as not shelling the latrines or attacking during breakfast. 3. I would say close quarters combat weapons like the Sub-machine gun. Trenches provided protection from bullets and shells, but they did carry their own risks. Patrols would often be sent out into No Mans Land. The dangers of trench warfare were plentiful. The crucial elements in attacking a trench system, surprise and overwhelming numbers of infantry, were thus almost impossible to attain. Classic trench warfare reappeared in the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88), a basically static war in which such mobile weapons as tanks and aircraft were in short supply. Troops learned to fortify newly won positions immediately; employing spades and axes carried in…, …the millions, solidified into continuous trench systems that were sometimes hundreds of miles long. Trench warfare was not itself an invention of World War I. Each of the main lines of trenches was connected to each other and to the rear by a series of communications trenches that were dug roughly perpendicular to them. Union soldiers in trenches, Petersburg, Virginia, 1864. Before World War 1, trench warfare was mostly used during the Civil War. 28th March 2018 at 12:17pm. In the American Civil War, field fortifications emerged as an essential of warfare, with both armies employing entrenchments to an extent never before seen. Trench warfare became necessary when two armies face a stalemate, with neither side able to advance and overtake the other Why Trench Warfare in WWI? The duties of a trench soldier varied widely. Trench warfare took shape on the Western Front in late 1914. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). TRAIN World War 1 armies, aces and tanks and go to war with thousands of REAL players! Trench warfare and its horrors – artillery, mud, water, disease, rats and death – have become the most iconic feature of World War I. Trench warfare is a form of static, defensive warfare. A World War I French departure trench just before zero hour, circa 1914-18. Fresh meat was in short supply so most soldiers relied on ‘bully beef’ (canned corned beef). The Allies’ increased use of the tank in 1918 marked the beginning of the end of trench warfare, however, since the tank was invulnerable to the machine gun and rifle fire that were the trenches’ ultimate defense. These trenches arose within the first few months of the war’s outbreak, after the great offensives launched by Germany and France had shattered against the deadly, withering fire of the machine gun and the rapid-firing artillery piece. Contrary to popular opinion, there were very few generals who deliberately butchered soldiers by ordering futile charges against machine-guns and heavily defended positions. There was a row of three trenches on both sides. Updates? Finally a send-off for the heroes: Remains of British soldiers stuck in Belgian trenches will be given a proper burial as archaeologists win race to excavate German WWI position before it's demolished During WWI, trenches were used to try to protect soldiers from poison gas, giving them more time to put on gas masks. “At many places along the opposing line of trenches, a ‘live and let live’ system evolved, based on the realisation that neither side was going to drive out the other anyway. Build the best Army, fight in epic tank battles, and play with your own custom war strategy. If the Western Front was a breeding ground for disease, then the territory between its opposing front lines – widely referred to as ‘no man’s land’ – was a veritable nightmare. Quick mobilization of resources was necessary to provide … Private Ralph E. John states, "There were so many … Most importantly, it had machine-gun emplacements to defend against an assault, and it had dugouts deep enough to shelter large numbers of defending troops during an enemy bombardment.
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